Rants on Cycling and on Life:
Photos of people and bicycles that pass in front of my camera

10.17.2012

RIDE REPORT: 2012 MoCo Epic

The Master of Ceremony at this Three Ring Circus

started this rant on monday morning

it is tuesday night

best wrap it up and hit

PUBLISH AND POST

the body is sore...

not from crashes

just from hammering

lots and lots of hammering

and no... I was not raising a barn

I was riding a bike

RIDE REPORT: 2012 MoCo Epic

This was my first year to participate in the MoCo Epic... years prior I had been so focused on cyclocross that I ignored all the mountain bike opportunities that fall has to offer

but not this year... this year I have ignored cyclocross

a few weeks back I brought my boys with me to attend the MORE FALL PICNIC in Davis West Virginia

and then after having so much fun upon my return I immediately registered for the MoCo Epic

the MoCo Epic is a mountain bike off road "ride" that connects a series of State Parks in Montgomery County Maryland... hence the Mo(ntgomery)Co(unty) Epic!

The MoCo Epic offers a few different ride options... 25 -35-50 or 65 Miles...

I signed up for the 65 miler... as if there were any other choice

in addition to "the ride" in its various distances the day itself is a mountain bike festival

in addition to "the ride" there is all sorts of bicycle themed entertainment... the pump track, Schwinny the trials rider give a demo, also several bands for your listening pleasure, all sorts of food, and beer... and more beer

as the "ride" date approached I put an electronic call out to the DCMTB team to see who was going to attend the MoCo Epic

a few responses came back... I tried to look for a suitable match up for a wheel to chase

Chris Danaceau got back to me... but I was not sure if his home court advantage, his superior fitness, and his geared bike would be a good mix for me and my Single Speed and lack of recent mountain biking

so... I continued my search...

reached out to Jonathan of The Family Bike Shop and got nothing but electronic silence

then also reached out to Chris Merriam who was sending wife and kids to represent the Merriam family, but who not be riding himself

of course I tried to enlist Michael Pearce aka Cargo Mike... but he was busy moving this week

dam... is it my breath? or my is it my malapropism

wanting to ride my single speed... I wanted to chase a single speedwanted to share this day with some fast friends

alas no... no one was as interested in riding with me as I was with riding with them

so... I resigned myself to riding alone

until a few days before the event and the responses started to come in...

Chris Danaceau sent me a message telling me his intended departure time and his intended pace

then MikeK sent me a message telling me to meet him and Jonathan at the race start to move in a large group

turns our Chris's group and MikeK's group were the same group

this seemed to work for me

a cluster of riders of similar skill and intensity

and then me

the MoCo Epic leaves out onto singletrack trails in the woods just behind the Soccerplex in Germantown Maryland

a venue that is not a far drive from my house in downtown Washington, DC

which allowed for sleeping in my own bed and then a drive to the suburbs at a time that is not completely unreasonable

build a pump track, assist in putting on the MoCo Epic, now take my picture... can you get me a beer?thanks Todd

the night prior to the event included tending to a sick child and cleaning up after the said sick child

vomit... cleaning up vomit in the middle of the night

missing out on sleep

and being exposed to nasty germs... giving up my slot in my bed... and then sleeping on a couch that is a foot shorter than my beastly body

this was not the approach I was looking for leading into a 65 mile off road mountain bike event

but...

morning came

my stomach was not showing any signs that I had picked up the bug that my son had been carrying for the days leading into the weekend

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